Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-03
THURSDAY. :. FEBRUARY 3, 1887
The Surplus.


II would seem to be strange condi-
ton OF things which enables us to say
that surplus of revenue is one of the
greatest evils from which our Govern
ment is suffering or is likely soon to
suffer. Certainly this surplus has hither-
10 wrought nothing but evil for the
South. The Government now pays out
every year nearly hundred millions OF
dollars in pensions, and nearly all of 1t
to persons living in the northern States,
though large portion of the revenue
comes out of the pockets of the southern
people. Ifffty or hundred millions of
dollars shall be appropriated to the
work of constructing new vessels
of war, nearly all that sum. too,
will be expended in the North. If
ten millions shall be appropriated to
the improvement of rivers and harbors
the North will in like manner get more
than her fair share Of it unless the south
ern members can induce Congress to al
low a liberal sum for the improvement
of the Mississippi river. The millions
expended on the army and navy are
mostly disbursed in the North. Indeed,
il would seem that the South is likely
to be greatly embarrassed by heavy
taxes-by being forced to pay out money
every year by the millions of dollars to
be expended outside of her limits. This
is indeed deplorable condition OF
things.
Under these circumstances, it is a
subject of graduation that the House
of Representatives seems to be disposed
10 call halt in the matter of increasing
the civil-pension list. The report of the
proper House committee against grant
ing pensions to the widows of General
LOGAN and General BLAIR is good
sign, though we fear that the members
of the House of Representatives will
fail TO stand by their committee. The
votes that were cast for the interstate
commerce bill, or else not cast at all,
when the House divided on that bill, by
members who were really not friendly
to it, showed clearly that those men,
bers at least voted ashley supposed their
constituents desired them to vote,
and not as they would, if thus unln-
fluenced, have voted. So it will be, we
rather expect, in the cases of the Sen
ate bills granting pensions to Mrs. Lo-
GAN and Mrs. BLAIR. II, however,
these bills shall be defeated it will be a
victory for good government. One OBJ
lection to the civil-seryice reform move
ment is the apprehension that it may
result in large civil-pension list, as
to the average American it seems to be
exceedingly unjust that the successful
applicants for Office should be sup
ported after they become old by the
unsuccessful applicants.
The BLAIR bill is one measure which
proposes to disbursc in the South more
of the money appropriated to schools
than is collected in the South. This
NAV not be an all-sufficient reason why
eyery southern man should vote for it,
but it is a good reason. The surplus
in the Treasury is to be reduced in
some way; and, according to Mr.. AL
IIsos. of Iowa, it will be reduced, not
by abolishing taxes, but by making
larger appropriations. The BLAIR bill,
if it becomes law, will tend, in a
small degree, it is true, but still 1t vii
tend. to aid in equalizing the govern
mental burthens imposed upon the two
sections. And yet that bill is violently
opposed by number of southern con
oressmen. Men who could see nothing
unconstitutional in the interstate com
merce bill profess that they cannot sup
port the BLAIR bill, their opposition t.
it being based upon its unconstitu
tionality.
1t is possible-nay probable-tha1
this country will be suffering fifty year
hence from the results of laws owing
their origin to the surplus which hai
ovcrAowed the Treasury for the last tel
years or more. 1t is alarming to mel
of ali sections to reflect that our army
including the pension list, should cos
as much annually as the immense peace
establishments, 80 called, of the larges
European country. 1t doubly alarm
ing TO that section which is to he i'm
. poverished as a consequence oil law
which, but for surplus in the Urea
sury, would never have had an exist
ence.